the perks of internship
by olympicmayhem
Summary: In which Haru tries to learn the ropes of running a company that Yuuki interns at.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Persona.**

* * *

From the moment she first stepped inside Okumura Foods, Haru knew that she would one day inherit everything. She was given strict training at the age of seven, and didn't have the same childhood other kids had. While the other kids played cops and robbers, Haru was taught the art of ikebana.

She didn't really hate it; she knew how important her training was to the future of their company, but she can't really deny the fact that she would envy the other kids. It was only in high school, when she met Makoto and the others, that she got to experience a simple high school life.

Now that she was in college and is majoring in business administration, her father thought it would be nice if she could finally get some hands-on experience. Haru was made to spend most of her free time at the company, learning about its inner workings and acquiring business associates that would back her up in case something goes wrong.

"Doncha ever feel bored though?" Ryuji had once asked her during one of the rare times she was able to hang out with her friends. Haru had shook her head and given him a small smile.

"Painfully hard yes," she had replied. "but never boring."

Ryuji had only given her a look of confusion. She had laughed. She didn't expect him to understand. She doesn't expect any of them to understand the hardships of running a company; it was one of the things she envies about her friends.

Makoto had berated Ryuji then, and gave him a long speech about Haru's situation and how his and the woman's worlds were far too different. Ryuji fell silent in his seat and Haru had to laugh at the poor expression on his face.

* * *

She was in the middle of being briefed about something (Haru had tuned her father's secretary off a few minutes ago and was idly walking by her side), when someone caught her eye. The first thing she noticed is his black hair with shades of blue (which was cropped short). The next thing she noticed was the slightly large necktie he was wearing. He was young, too young to be an employee, probably around the same age as her. He rushed to the little pantry used by their employees during break time and came back with three steaming cups of coffee.

Ah, Haru thought. He's probably one of the interns the company took. She did hear about the internship program that the company undertook just this year in order to give business majors more experience of the outside world. She should look more into that.

"Miss Haru?"

Haru shifted her attention back to the older woman.

"Is there something wrong, Miss Haru?"

Haru shook her head and gave her signature smile.

"It's nothing. Let us proceed, shall we?"

The secretary nodded and continued on. Haru internally sighed as the two of them marched on. She didn't see where the man disappeared off to.

* * *

Haru decided to take a peek into the interns' files after her work was done. Her fingers deftly scan file after file until she finds what she was looking for. She found his picture on one of the application papers and Haru took the intern's file out and studied it like an exam paper.

"Yuuki Mishima," she read aloud. "Oh. He goes to the same university. What a small world!"

* * *

She excitedly told Makoto about her little discovery the next day and the brunette had raised both eyebrows at the twinkle in her eyes.

"Haru, you do realize that you just sounded like a stalker, right?"

"I'm just taking a leaf out of your book, Mako-chan!" She grinned. Makoto blanched and tried to utter a coherent response. Haru only laughed. "Besides, it's not really stalking if I'm checking my interns' profiles. I'm very serious about the company, Mako-chan. We can't just let anyone in, you know?"

"Uh-huh?" The brunette sounded skeptical. Haru grinned again.

"And maybe because I somehow find it cute that his necktie is too big for him."

"I knew it."

Makoto rolled her red eyes. Haru just laughed.

* * *

The next time she sees him, she was walking all by herself. She had gone out for lunch and decided to roam around the building to settle the food down her stomach when she heard a commotion inside the finance department. Curiosity got the best of her so she decided to take a look inside.

None of the employees saw her slip inside; they were all too focused on watching what was happening. It turns out that the voice Haru heard outside was coming from the finance manager. He was shouting, red-faced, in front of a cowering employee.

"How do you manage to trip on both feet?!" The man shouted. "All you had to do was deliver coffee! Was that so hard to do? Did you have to spill it on my computer? Do you have any idea how much work you've added to all of us?!"

The employee, whose back was turned at her, whimpered and tried to formulate a reply. Haru could see that he was shaking. The manager closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He shook his head.

"I don't even know how you were able to pass here," he said. "Did those idiots from the admissions department make a mistake?" He shook his head again before addressing everyone. "Let's all get back to work. Double-time, people. We have twice the amount of work to do now."

The others grumbled and went back to their posts, some of them glaring at the shivering employee as they pass by him. The man himself hasn't left his spot. Soon, it was just the two of them standing. Haru waited for him to move but he didn't. He was probably too paralyzed by fear. She decided to check on him.

"Hey," she softly greeted, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay." The man only shook his head. Haru could hear him sniffling. She tried again.

"Do you want to sit down?"

Another shake of the head.

"Do you want to get some water?"

Another shake of the head. Haru sighed. This conversation is clearly leading them nowhere.

"Well, we can't just stand here you know. C'mon, let's go to the pantry." Her fingers wrapped around his thin wrist and she dragged him off to the pantry. Haru heard a surprised gasp from behind but the man didn't struggle against her hold. She didn't let go until they were inside. She could still hear him sniffling as she went to the fridge to get him a bottle of water.

Once she turned around she was finally able to see who the man was. It wasn't an employee, after all. It was Yuuki Mishima, the intern who goes to the same university as her. Her eyes soften as she gives him the bottled water. He takes it and croaks out a thank you as he opened it and downed it in one huge gulp. Yuuki Mishima sniffled again.

"I really am useless," he mumbled to himself. Haru shook her head. She frowned.

"No you're not," she argued.

"Yes I am," he sighed. "I just suck at everything. There's nothing I can do and I even create trouble for others."

"That's what I used to think when I was a kid," she told him. "But I'm still here and I'm still learning. So you should hold on too, okay? Just because you made one mistake doesn't mean it's the end of the world."

"But I made more trouble for the finance department," he sighed. "I'm pretty sure they hate me now."

"I don't believe that. I've heard that that department's always been a mess. They'd probably be in the same amount of trouble even if you hadn't spilled coffee on the manager's computer." Yuuki finally lets out a small smile.

"Really?" he asked. Haru nodded. She gave him an encouraging smile.

"Yes. Really."

"Thank you. You made me feel a whole lot better."

"It's my pleasure."

"I'm Yuuki Mishima, by the way." He offered her his hand. She took it.

"Call me Haru."

"Just Haru?"

She nodded.

"Okay. So, do you intern here too?"

Haru looked at him and bit her lip before giving him a small nod.

"Yeah."

* * *

"You what?!"

They were having a girls' night out at Leblanc when Haru decided to tell them what happened with Yuuki the other day. Makoto shook her head in disagreement while Ann stood up and exclaimed. The other two were calmer about it.

"Haru," Makoto said. "You just lied to him." Haru nodded. Futaba frowned.

"But why?" the bespectacled girl asked.

Haru couldn't answer her question. Why didn't she tell Yuuki Mishima the truth about her? Why was she scared of him finding out that she is the heiress to Okumura Foods?

"I don't think he'd be able to take it very well if he finds out," she answers instead.

"Huh?" Ann asked, tilting her head in confusion (she had finally taken her seat). "Why wouldn't he be able to take it very well?" Haru can only shrug at her in reply.

"And do you think he'd take it well when he finds out you lied to him?" Hifumi finally speaks out. The heiress remained silent. The other girls sighed.

"You're gonna get in trouble someday in the future, Haru." Makoto said. Haru bit her lip. She knows her friends are right. So why couldn't she just tell him who she really is?

* * *

She and the intern begun to spend more time together after the fiasco at the finance department. Since then, the intern has been sent to the advertising department and has been doing very well. He appears to be livelier, and it turns out that when he wasn't cowering in front of his boss, Yuuki Mishima can be a really funny guy.

At the back of her mind, she knew that she should tell him the truth before he finds out about it from someone else, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. Yuuki looks so relaxed around her, and she knows that it'd change when he finds out about her social status. It's almost always like that. People would often treat her like a prized diamond, never to be touched and only to be admired from afar, whenever they find out about her heritage. It was a blessing that she encountered Makoto and company, really. She doesn't want to lose what she has with Yuuki now.

* * *

They were at the building's rooftop, taking a break from work, when Haru told Yuuki about what she'd like to do to the rooftop if she was ever able to give it a makeover (she's been trying to convince her father to let her do it). Yuuki listened to her attentively.

"I'd grow my own garden here!" she told him, pointing at various spaces and telling him what kind of plant she'd grow there. The intern chimed in, making suggestions while imagining what it would be like to grow a rooftop garden.

"It'd be totally epic!" Yuuki told her enthusiastically. Haru nodded, grinning. He sighed. "Ah, well. So much for wishful thinking. Too bad we're both just zeroes in this company huh? We're not even proper employees."

Haru looked down and bit her bottom lip.

"Mishima-kun," she started. "There's something I'd like to tell you."

"Hm? What is it, Haru-chan?"

Haru took a deep breath, trying to still her erratic heart. Before she could say anything, a shrill sound pierced the silence. Yuuki scooped his phone out of his wallet and answered the call. The heiress waited until he disconnected.

"Sorry, Haru-chan," he apologized. "It was one of the interns in the advertising department. He said they need me to go back. Said they need help coming up with new ideas for the latest advertisement."

Haru smiled.

"That's amazing, Mishima-kun!"

The man smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah. It's pretty crazy. The manager said he's actually considering to hire me after I graduate."

"That's really good to hear!" She gave him two thumbs up. "See? You can do something!"

"It's all thanks to you," he smiled at her and the way he smiled made Haru's heart do jumping jacks. "I don't think I would be here right now if you hadn't encouraged me back then. I would've already quit if it weren't for you." He took her hand in his and gave her a tender smile. "Thank you, Haru-chan."

* * *

It's been two months since the fiasco in the finance department took place. Haru found herself at the rooftop with Yuuki again. The place has become their hiding spot; a place where he's just Yuuki Mishima and she's just Haru Okumura.

Haru still hasn't told him that she is the next CEO of the company he's been interning at. She berates herself every night for it and promises to tell him the next day but promises are meant to be broken.

* * *

They start to hang out even outside the office. They'd usually go to a Big Bang burger joint to grab some food then walk around Shibuya. On more than one occasion, Yuuki has tried to teach Haru the fun of arcade games. They find out that she's actually good at it and within a few days she can finally land critical hits against the man.

"Dang, Haru-chan," Yuuki peeked out from behind the arcade game. "It took me months to perfect that technique and you just completely blocked it!" Haru giggled.

"You still won," she told him.

"Yeah, but I'm sure that in a few more weeks, you'd be able to beat me." He shook his head. "You're really amazing, Haru-chan."

Blood rushed to Haru's face and the butterflies in her stomach fluttered around.

* * *

"What should I do? I think I'm starting to like him."

Haru was out eating pancakes with Makoto and Goro near Inokashira Park when she told them what happened at the rooftop. She clutched her head. She could hear the sigh escape Makoto's lips.

"If you like him, then tell him the truth."

"What if he gets mad at me?"

"He will," Goro answered with certainty. Haru looked at him with terrified eyes. "But from what you've said, this Yuuki Mishima guy likes you as well. I'm pretty sure he'd forgive you."

"What makes you say that, Akechi-kun?" The heiress asked with a small frown. Goro gave him a small smile.

"I'm a detective, Okumura-san. Trust me. My predictions are almost always right."

"He's right," Makoto agreed. "Tell him now before it's too late. If he gets mad, then give him some space. He'll get over it, okay?"

Haru looked at the couple with a smile. She was happy to have the two of them but the fear inside her just wouldn't go away.

"What if," she starts in a small voice, looking down again. "What if after knowing who I am, he'd start treating me differently?"

The couple looks at her solemnly. They understand her fears.

"Then he doesn't deserve you, Haru." Makoto said in a quiet voice.

* * *

All her friends decided to hang out in Shibuya one Sunday and Haru was able to free her schedule to go with them, even though she knows she'd feel left out. All her friends are in relationships (the biggest shock of all was Ryuji who found famous shogi idol Hifumi Togo at a dating site) and they'd all cuddle up together while she was left to her own. Haru wished that Yuuki would be with them but she shook the thought away as soon as it had come. It's not like she and Yuuki were a couple. They're just friends.

"I'm hungryyyyy!" Ann whined, pulling Haru out of her thoughts. She hears Ryuji snort.

"When have you ever been not hungry?" Ann shot him a glare and stuck her tongue out at him.

"And shouldn't you be watching your calories?" Yusuke asked. "You are a model after all."

"Are you trying to tell me that I'm getting fat?!" she exclaimed. Futaba cackled. The blonde clutched her boyfriend's arm and looked at him. "Ren, look! They're all ganging up on me!"

Ren looked at her and chuckled. He gave her a pat on the head.

"It's okay," he said in his usual quiet voice. "Even if you get fat, you'd still be the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

Ann's face flushed a shade of pink but she smiled at him nonetheless.

"Dude," Ryuji's groaned. "Don't go saying all that sweet stuff. These girls might expect the same to the rest of us. We're not as great at words as you are, man."

"I think that only applies to you, Ryuji-kun." Goro said with a slight smile. Makoto laughed.

"Yup!" Futaba chimed in. "Ryuji's such an idiot. Poor Hifumi-chan!"

"Sh-shut up!" Ryuji groaned, red-faced. His girlfriend didn't even try to defend him. She just laughed.

"Okay, okay," Haru finally said, still giggling. "Let's go get some sushi, shall we? My treat!"

Ann and Futaba both jumped up in joy.

"Yes!" The blonde exclaimed. "All hail Okumura-sama!"

"Haru Okumura-sama of Okumura Foods is the best!" Futaba shouted. "The future of Okumura Foods is as bright as day!"

"Okumura?" A voice belonging to someone who isn't in their group suddenly asked from behind the heiress. Haru froze. She knows that voice. It can't be him, can it?

The woman slowly turned around and was met face to face with Yuuki Mishima, his expression that of utter shock.

"M-Mishima-kun I-" Yuuki raised an arm to stop her, his expression morphing from shock to fury.

"So you're the CEO's only daughter?" he asked, looking at her straight in the eyes. His gaze was cold, piercing into her soul. The heiress let out an involuntary shiver. "And you conveniently forgot to tell me?"

"Hey-" Ann started but was stopped by Ren. The bespectacled man gave the heiress a worried look but didn't say anything. Her other friends were silent as well. Although they want to help her out, they know better than to butt in. Haru frantically shook her head at her friend.

"I was planning to tell you! I was just waiting for the right time to tell you!"

"Haru-chan, we've literally spent the last two months hanging out. We spent a lot of time at that rooftop. Just when would be the right time for you?" He shook his head. "Forget it." He turned his back on them and walked away.

Haru tried to run after him but the man disappeared into the crowd. She turned in every direction but there was just no sign of him. A tear rolled down her cheek and she furiously wiped it away with her thumb. She couldn't cry in public. She wouldn't cry in public.

* * *

"We're really sorry, Haru!" Ann and Futaba apologized, bowing their heads.

It was three days after Yuuki found out the truth. All the ladies were hanging out in Leblanc again. They were all surprised to see Haru; they weren't expecting her to join them especially since they've been unable to contact her the past three days. Ann and Futaba scrambled to their feet as soon as she entered the café and apologized.

"It's all because of my stupid, big mouth!" Ann said. "Sometimes, I really, really hate myself for being so stupid!"

"I've been such a bad friend!" Futaba cried. She scratched her eyes and sniffled loudly. "Why do I always ruin things? First there was Makoto and Goro and now it's you and that Mishima guy!"

Haru hugged both of her friends. She never really blamed them for what happened; she blamed herself. She knew that if she had just only listened to Makoto and told him the truth right from the start, then none of this would've happened but it's too late to think of such thoughts now. Makoto walked towards them with a worried expression (Hifumi wasn't there because she was training).

"Haru, are you alright?" Haru gave her a melancholic smile before shaking her head.

"Not really."

"The two of you haven't spoken to each other since then?" The heiress nodded.

"Don't worry! I'll make him understand!" Futaba exclaimed, finally retracting herself from the hug.

"Yeah, yeah! We'll explain everything to him!" Ann added.

Haru chuckled and shook her head.

"I got myself into this mess. I have to fix it on my own."

"You sure?" Futaba asked. Haru nodded. Makoto looked at her with a mixed feeling of worry and pride.

"You can do this, Haru." The brunette said. Haru looked at her and flashed her a grateful smile.

* * *

The next two weeks pass without Haru seeing a trace of Yuuki inside the building. The man can really make himself disappear when he wants to, making it hard for Haru to find him. She knew that he wouldn't answer her calls but she still tried. She expected to be directed to voice mail every time but was disappointed nonetheless.

She tried to distract herself with work. Her father praised her for her dedication to their company and told her that he'd be leaving the company in the right hands after all. Haru smiled. Her father rarely praised her this much and her heart swelled up in pride.

* * *

It was one Saturday noon when her father decided to drop the bomb on her. Haru knew in the back of her mind that her father would suggest it someday but the full reality of it hit her just now.

"I'm thinking of marrying you to a son of a friend," he had told her. "He's the son of a politician, and it would be good for our company's power to make them allies."

They heard a yelp behind her and they both turned their attention on the third person who just entered the room. Yuuki Mishima, who was ordered by her father's secretary to bring the two coffee, tripped on his feet and splashed coffee on the floor, staining the carpet. He let out a string of apology and tried to wipe the stain with his tie.

Haru wonders how long he's been there. He couldn't have heard what her father said, could he? He finally straightened up and met her eyes. There was no denying that look in his eyes. He heard her father.

"I-I'm going to get you another cup of coffee!" he said and rushed outside, leaving Haru with her father again. The heiress watched as the door closes, obstructing her view of his back.

"Haru?" her father said. She turned her attention back to him. "You would do anything for this company, correct?"

The woman looked down. She's always done everything for the company. She gave up childhood normalcy to learn everything. She clenched her fists.

"Haru?" Her father repeated. She sighed and looked down.

"Yes, father."

Her father smiled.

"Good girl."

He gave her a pat on the shoulder and left the room. Haru stood frozen in her spot for some time, her fists clenched as tears stream down her cheeks. It's so unfair. Why couldn't she have the freedom to at least choose who she wants to marry?

She hears the door creak behind her and she furiously wipes her tears with her palm. Turning around, she sees Yuuki Mishima with new cups of coffee in each hand.

"Mr. Okumura?" he asked.

"He already left. He still has other business to take care of."

"I see," He slowly placed the two steaming cups on the table in the middle of the room before saying, "So you're getting married, huh?"

She gave him a bitter smile.

"Yeah."

He finally stood up.

"Congratulations, then." He turned around to leave.

"Mishima-kun, wait." The man stopped in his tracks. He's not turning around but Haru is sure that he was listening. "I'm sorry. I should've told you the truth right from the start."

Yuuki turned around and gave her a small smile. He shook his head.

"It's okay, Haru-chan. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I'm sorry as well."

"I understand."

Haru gave him a small smile. The apologies have been said and all was forgiven but tension still hangs in the room. What more should be said? The two of them stand in silence, unable to look at each other in the eye. Finally, Yuuki spoke up.

"Y'know," he started. "Ever since I was little, I've always been this nobody. A zero. There's just no place for me in this world to fit in. When I got accepted to the internship program here, I was extremely happy. I thought there was finally a place for me to belong.

"But you saw what happened in the finance department, right? I told you before that I would have given up if I hadn't met you. That was true. I was really happy to meet you. I thought you were a zero, just like me. You and I clicked immediately. So I guess I felt betrayed when I found out that you were actually the heiress to Okumura Foods." He rubbed the nape of his neck and smiled sheepishly at her. "That was stupid, right?"

Haru vehemently shook her head and made her way to the man, enveloping him in a tight hug. Yuuki made a sound of surprised and hesitantly returned the hug.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, burying her face at the crook of his neck, her breath tickling his skin. "I was scared. I didn't want you to find out because I thought that if you did, you'd stay away from me like other people did or worse: that you'd use me for your own gains. I shouldn't have thought of you like that. I'm sorry."

She felt the chuckle rising from Yuuki's throat as he gives her a gentle squeeze.

"It's okay," he tells her, playing with a strand of her hair. "I would've been more careful if I was in your shoes too."

The woman craned her neck to look up at him.

"Really?"

He grinned.

"Really."

He cupped her chin and traced her bottom lip with his thumb, his touch sending electric shocks throughout Haru's nerves. Slowly, he dips his head down as he captures her lips with his, sending the heiress' senses into overdrive. When they pulled back, Yuuki frowned.

"I have such bad timing," he grumbled. "Here I am finally living out my dream of kissing you and you're about to be married to someone else."

Haru couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips. He was too cute, she thought. But he was right. There is the looming problem of her engagement to a total stranger but right now, Haru just wants to enjoy being in the arms of the man he loves.

"It's okay," she assures him. "We'll cross the bridge when we get there. Right now, let's forget about the future and focus on the present, okay?"

Yuuki smiled and captured her lips for another kiss.

* * *

 **A/N:** **and that wraps up the whole college au series! Thank you so much to everyone who has read all of them. I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. Who knows, maybe I'd update with a Halloween special, Christmas special, Valentine special, and White Day special! Or maybe I would write a circus au. Right now, I guess I'd be focusing on work and that Mystic Messenger fic that I've always talked about. Just wanna tell you all, I really had a hard time choosing a partner for Haru. I even considered making her fic a crossover with Mystic Messenger's Saeran because they both love gardening lolol when I realized that oh, Yuuki Mishima isn't taken yet. That's all I want to say~ Once again, thank you so much for reading my collection of college aus!**

 **-olympicmayhem**


End file.
